News from "The Voice of Missouri Business"®

Report shows manufacturing job applicants fall short

St. Louis Community College released the 2015 State of St. Louis Workforce Report, an annual report that dates back to beginning of the recession in 2009.

The report includes many key insights about many different industries in St. Louis, including employer barriers to expanding employment and reasons behind skills shortages. It is divided into three parts: the St. Louis Economy, the Employer Survey, and a report on the Employment and Educational Experiences of Economically Disadvantaged Population.

According to the report, shortage of workers with knowledge or skills was the largest barrier to expanding employment, with economic conditions and government policies and regulations taking the second and third spot respectively. Forty-five percent of employers also reported experiencing a shortage of skilled applicants.

Sixty-one percent of manufacturers reported applicants lacking technical skills, while 70% said they required four or more years of experience. This undesirable gap forced 86% of manufacturers to hire less experienced workers and train them. Fortunately, 75% of manufacturers only require short-term training.

According to the report, 3,000 new manufacturing jobs are projected in 2015-2017.

If you are interested in downloading the full detailed report, click here.